MamaMia

Mama Mia is a busy industrious mom, who loves her CatCamille and cats. Aside from kids, cats, website building and blogging she enjoys a long swim every morning, practices Falun Gong, EFT, and donates unsolicited advice where inappropriate. And to make matters even better, MamaMia eats lots of fruits & veggies and force-feeds poor CatCamille.

5 Dangerous Items Found in All Homes That Are Poisonous to Cats

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Ensure Your Cat Is Safe and Well

Cats have a curious nature and this very curiosity often leads them towards trouble. Pet cats are known to explore their homes looking for “interesting” things they can play with or consume.

This is where you need to step in as a responsible cat parent. To ensure your cat remains safe whilst enjoying a relative degree of freedom, you need to keep all the dangerous items out of your pet’s reach. To help you get started, the following are 5 items found in most homes that are poisonous to cats.

Acetaminophen

Vets sometimes prescribe certain human medications for cats. However, that doesn’t mean that all human meds are safe for your feline friend. Some can kill in extremely low doses. One of those medications is Acetaminophen (Tylenol). A single 325mg tablet is enough to cause extreme anemia and in certain cases, it can even lead to death. Long story short, you should never experiment giving human medication to your pet unless specifically prescribed by the vet. Even if the medication is safe, you can always mess up the dose and cause your pet to experience severe side effects. If you are treating a minor health issue find OTC medications for cats online or better yet ask a vet.

Certain Types of Indoor Plants

Have you ever seen your cat munching on a blade of grass?  Then you already know their affinity to have leafy greens plucked fresh out of the wild. The problem lies in the fact that a lot of indoor plants are actually highly toxic to cats. Here are some examples of plants that can lead to severe toxic reactions.

  • Sago Palm (Extremely Toxic)
  • Spanish Thyme
  • Marijuana Plant
  • Lilies
  • Tulip
  • English Ivy
  • Rhododendrons
  • Yew
  • Pothos Vine
  • Castor Beans
  • Chrysanthemum

This is by no means an exhaustive list of plants that are toxic to cats. To be sure, always research a plant before bringing it indoors.

Batteries

Why would a cat consume a battery? Well, in normal circumstances it probably won’t. However, a cylindrical battery rolling in the ground may get your cat curious. It can easily become a plaything that your cat paws and chases around the house. In the heat of the chase, cats can pick up the rolling battery causing it to leak dangerous toxic chemicals.

Amongst all of these chemicals, lead is undoubtedly the most dangerous. Lead toxicity in cats can also result from lead-contaminated food and water.

Ethylene Glycol or Antifreeze

Even a small teaspoon of antifreeze is enough to kill a healthy adult cat. Cars often drip antifreeze and they have a sweet smell that makes them seem appetizing to dogs and cats. Apart from cars, ethylene glycol is also available in a number of other items such as certain cosmetic products and polishes.

If consumed, your cat can experience vomiting and in severe cases, it can even lead to kidney failure. Keep all chemical-laden products away from your cat. It’s also important to restrict your cat’s movement so it cannot sneak inside the garage unsupervised.

Moth Balls

It’s highly advisable to stop using mothballs if you have pet cats at home. A rogue naphthalene ball can seem enticing to a cat. If consumed it almost always lead to a life-threatening toxic reaction.

Stevie Wonder Blind Piano Cat

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The Blind Piano Playing Cat

Stevie Wonder, is a six year old blind cat that was found in a garden flea-ridden, suffering from worms, with a hernia in his stomach and both of his eyes missing.

Vets are unsure whether his eyes were surgically removed or he was born without them.
Stevie was taken home by Beva Street; one of the staff of the Wood Green Animal Shelter in Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire.
At first, Ms Street noticed that he appeared to like listening to the piano being played.
Then one day he astounded her by pressing the keys and playing the piano himself!

Beva Street, deputy manager of cat welfare at the shelter, believes the blind wonder cat feels comforted by being able to hear the sound made by its movements and that the sounds connect him to the outside world.
Now the piano playing kitty spends most of his time enchanted by the gentle piano sounds at his temporary owner’s home.

Ms Street said: ‘You wouldn’t think Stevie couldn’t see. He is so playful he is like a little kitten.
Stevie seems to enjoy the sound of the piano and often jumps up on my lap while I play.
He has ventured onto the seat and the piano himself a few times for a little nose and a rather noisy play.
Because he has no sight Stevie’s other senses are so heightened – his hearing is amazing.
He loves to jump, play with fishing rod toys and explore his foster home and garden. He really is a wonder.
Amazingly in terms of himself Stevie is well, which is why it is so surprising that he does not have eyes.’

She also said she hoped Stevie would find a stable home soon where the furniture remains in one place so he can create a mental map in his head of the space around him.

Wood Green, which was founded in 1924, rehomes thousands of dogs, cats, horses, goats, sheep, rabbits, hens, ferrets and other small animals every year.

 

 

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2184889/Stevie-Wonder-blind-piano-playing-cat-loves-entertain-tinkling-ebony-ivories.html#ixzz22y8ioHm0

Travelling With Your Cat

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Read this article, submitted by a cat lover, on Travelling With Your Cat:

Taking your pet with you if you are going on holiday or moving abroad for a while can be a stressful time because there are a lot of things that you need to do. Getting them organised is a lot more complicated than most think. This is especially the case if you are moving to another country. Also, one thing to remember is that sometimes you may not be able to get the food and tastes that you are used to in your native country. This may mean that your pet is now subject to a change of diet and this may cause them to feel uncomfortable and displaced.

Thus, after you have sorted out your move it is important to consider what type of food you are going to give them. One of the best places to ensure that your cat has the same quality of food that they are used to is to go onto the Internet. You find that a lot of companies are willing to ship worldwide and to most regions. This means that if you move to a new area and the local pet store does not supply your brand then you can still give your cat what he/she is used to.

Travelling with your cat - IAMS cat foodHowever, if you are looking to change your pet’s diet then here are some popular brands that can be found online that will give your cat the nutrition it needs.

Firstly, there is cat food by iams; they provide a variety of cat foods and are most popular for their dry range. You will also find that they use whole grain wheat in their products so it is high in fibre and good for you cat’s bowels.

is another high standard natural cat food that has a range that is suited for animals of different ages. It is very easy to use and it comes in a range of flavours that cats seem to enjoy.

The difference here is that the pouches are mostly wet and contain a variety of meats and fishes.

Travelling with your cat - Royal Canin cat foodIf you need to give your pet certain nutrients because they either have a long fur coat or are suffering from a deficiency of some sort, then cat food by Royal Canin is going to be the answer. They have one of the widest ranges of specialist foods available and they will make your pet feel at home wherever you travel to.

 

All of the above foods can be bought online so it is easy for you to find. They are also cheaper than in retail stores so you can make a good saving and also feed your cat the nutrients it craves.

Cat Proofing Your Home

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Here’s an article on cat proofing your home by a cat lover guest writer:

Cat-Proofing Your Home - how to deal with cat odoursThere is an old stereotype which is that every cat owner’s house is smelly and dirty and of course, like all stereotypes, it is not always the case. It is true that some people are less hygienic than others and some do not know how to care for their feline friends as well as they should, but it does not mean that they cannot learn to do so properly.

I own three cats and one of the worst things is finding the right cat food to suit all three of them, as two suffer from dietary intolerances and the other has feline urinary tract disease, and finding one that doesn’t stink out the whole house at the same time was too much to ask. I have two different cat foods but all three of them have been fed on Royal Canin Sensitivity in the past. Many cats suffer from allergies, which can lead to diarrhoea and great discomfort for your pet, as well as cause for people to consider the stereotype if you have a litter tray in use!

The embarrassing stereotype also stretches to those who have misbehaving cats. My cats unfortunately love to scratch the sofas, ignoring their designated scratching posts as if to spite me. Feliway helped me solve this problem. The dispenser is odourless and a non-sedative which helps feline stress and allows them to feel safe and secure in their own environment. As I have three male cats, it also helped immensely with their territorial spraying and fighting which was getting worse by the day – a month or so after I introduced Billy to the other two.

Finally, there is nothing worse than going to a cat owner’s house with the worry of picking up worms if you know that the owner rarely worms their pets. Drontal for cats is always stocked in my cupboard and I administer one dosage to each cat every three months. It is easy to use and saves any worry for visitors and myself. So long stereotype!

Talking Cat

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Pl4stoc asked:

Direction of use : 1/Watch the video (funny, eh?) 2/Browse comments (where the fun really is… ;o) === NB : If you believe the cat is actually in pain, you obviously know nothing about cats. Should this be painfull to the cat, it would try escape or attack. ===

Pon and Zi

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